Rio on the Hudson

For the thousands of people who weren’t able to make it to the Rio Olympics, Citi brought the taste of Rio to NYC with a free immersive experience at Pier 26. The venue on the Hudson was transformed into a Brazilian festival complete with authentic food, samba dancers, graffiti artists, and our very own Copacabana beach.

The “Citi Cauldron,” which was lit in tandem with the Olympic torch helped us kick off the festivities on Friday, August 5th. Massive, flat-screen TVs surrounded the area so that guests could cheer on Team USA while also participating in family-friendly activities, which included face-painting, a virtual race against Track and Field star Allyson Felix, Paralympic sport demonstrations, and a virtual golf simulator. As if that wasn’t enough, the event also featured former Olympic medalists and athletes who were heading to the Olympic Games including US Women’s Soccer players Christie Rampone & Mia Hamm, Track and Field’s Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Swimmer Rudy Garcia-Tolson and Gymnast Dominique Dawes.

Tapped by Citi to provide the festive grub, CxRA spiced up the beach cart menus to include everything from Brazilian hot dogs, chorizo sandwiches, sweet and savory popcorn, fresh fruit and ice pops. At the Leblon Sociale Bar and Grill we offered our famous CxRA Churrasqueria Station complete with skewers of Steak, Shrimp, Chicken and Vegetables, broccoli rice and Pao de Queijo, Brazilian cheese bread. To keep the party going we had multiple outdoor bars that served an array of Brazilian beer, South American wines, and of course the national cocktail of Brazil, the legendary Caipirianha’s.

In addition to the outdoor festivities, Citi hosted a handful of private event for VIP guests. It was a spectacular 7 day event immersing over 10,000 guests in the cuisine and culture of Rio De Janeiro.